"NEW YORK - Animal advocacy groups filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to shut down U.S. President Donald Trump’s board advising on federal rules for importing big game, saying it is stacked with trophy hunters and politically connected donors and cannot serve the public interest.

The lawsuit said the “deceptively named” International Wildlife Conservation Council actually promotes the hunting of and importing of body parts from “imperiled species” such as African elephants, lions and rhinos.

It said the 17-member council, created last November by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, violates a 1972 federal law designed to curb White House use of “secretive” advisory panels to set national policy, and should lose its powers and charter. "

Jonathan Stempel reports for Reuters August 1, 2018. [2]